Chocolate S’mores Tart with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue

A totally indulgent homemade s’mores tart that combines all the classic elements of campfire s’mores: a cinnamon-spiced graham cracker crust and a gooey chocolate ganache filling, topped with big swirls of toasted marshmallow meringue. You won’t be able to resist this delicious and nostalgic treat!

In what was nearly a major travesty, I misplaced my smudged and note-covered recipe for this s’mores tart in the midst of packing and leaving our old house. Thankfully, it resurfaced in a pile of our important documents, because this indulgent chocolate-y, marshmallow-y, concoction is one of my favorite recipes to date.

Now, this s’mores tart is made up of three main components – a graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache filling, and marshmallow meringue topping – that together are so much more than the sum of their parts.

Each bite brings you back to classic, campfire-toasted s’mores, with gooey pieces of melted chocolate and pillowy marshmallows, and it’s delicious, and nostalgic, and the hubby and I could not get enough. This combination is so. good.

And while none of the prep is all that difficult or technical on its own, collectively it’s a slightly more complicated recipe than most of the desserts I share here. So save this beauty for a special dinner party, or a weekend bbq, or… a Tuesday.

Listed under major reasons we’re currently celebrating? I still can’t quite believe it, but we are actually, finally moving into our new house this week. It has been a long journey, indeed.

How to make this s’mores tart:

Start with a classic graham cracker crust. It’s the only baked part of the tart, which makes this ideal for those stifling hot Summer days, when turning on the oven is pure torture. Nothing surprising here – crushed graham crackers, melted butter, a spoonful of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and salt, and a few minutes to bake.

We fill the graham crust with a rich and creamy chocolate ganache. It’s super easy and fairly quick to come together (chopping the chocolate takes the bulk of the time in this step). You can use either heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk (I’m a big fan of the latter), but either option results in an incredibly indulgent and delicious chocolate filling.

Finally – and what makes this tart such a showstopper – there’s the giant pile of cloud-like marshmallow meringue we’re going to layer on top. Step one and two are delicious, but this tart just would not be complete without that marshmallow layer. Especially once you whip out the kitchen torch, and the outside becomes beautifully toasty and complex and caramelized, all while the inside remains soft and fluffy.

Maybe you’re like me, and find meringue really intimidating. I definitely used to, but this method – borrowed from Stella Parks’ BraveTart cookbook – is nearly foolproof, and results in an incredibly luscious, stable, easy to work with meringue.

One other thing that I really love about this s’mores tart is that it can easily be made both dairy free and gluten free.

To go dairy free, use coconut milk in the ganache and vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in the graham cracker crust.

Use gluten free graham crackers in the crust.

The marshmallow meringue is naturally gluten and dairy free.

…Because dessert is more fun when everyone can enjoy it! And everyone should be able to get in on this favorite… 🙂

S’mores Tart with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue

Description

A totally indulgent homemade s’mores tart that combines all the classic elements of campfire s’mores: a cinnamon-spiced graham cracker crust and a gooey chocolate ganache filling, topped with big swirls of toasted marshmallow meringue. You won’t be able to resist this delicious and nostalgic treat!

Instructions

Use a food-processor to pulse together the graham crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse a few times until well-combined.

Spoon the crumbs into a 9-inch tart pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Press firmly into an even layer along the bottom and sides of the pan. The flat bottom of a measuring cup works well for this.

Place on a rimmed sheet plan to catch any leaks. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the crust is golden and set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a baking rack.

Make the chocolate ganache filling: Add the cream or coconut milk to a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium heat. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted, and the ganache is smooth and shiny. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour the ganache into the cooled graham cracker crust and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Gently tap the bottom once or twice against the counter to release any air bubbles. Let cool on a baking rack until set, about 2 hours, or about an hour in the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Make the marshmallow meringue: Add 1-1/2 inches of water to a 3-quart pot, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. It’s helpful to place a crumbled ring of aluminum foil in the bottom to help prop up the mixing bowl.

Combine the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tarter in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over the water. Working constantly, stir and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until the mixture is thin and foamy, and reaches 175℉. This should take about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and transfer the bowl to a stand up mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed and working up to high speed, beat until the meringue is light and glossy with stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Immediately add to the s’mores tart.

Assemble the s’mores tart: Generously spoon the marshmallow meringue over the chilled ganache, adding swirls with a flexible or offset spatula. Use a kitchen torch to (carefully) toast the marshmallow meringue.

Alternatively, place on a pan on the middle rack of the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes, until the meringue is golden and toasted. Watch it like a hawk to be sure it doesn’t burn too quickly!

Best served immediately, but will keep refrigerated and tightly covered for a few days. Enjoy!!

Notes

¹ You can buy graham cracker crumbs or make your own using approximately 9 graham cracker sheets. Pulse together in a food processor until finely crushed. Make it gluten free: use gluten free graham crackers in the crust – everything else is naturally gluten free. ² Make it dairy free: use vegan butter (such as EarthBalance) in the graham cracker crust, and use canned coconut milk in the chocolate ganache filling. Look for brands that have just two ingredients: coconut/coconut cream and water. My personal favorite is Golden Star. ³ Marshmallow meringue from BraveTart by Stella Parks.

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13 Comments

Patty

September 3, 2018 at 2:39 pm

This took a little time to make, but it does how the WOW factor! I wanted a recipe to try out my new little kitchen torch, and this was the perfect one for it. It’s so pretty too look at, that I now wish I had company to share it with! Hope it tastes good as it looks! Can’t wait to find out!

Abigail

August 21, 2018 at 10:28 pm

This is gorgeous, Laura! A question for you — how were you able to get that first slice to look so perfect? Do you have a special technique or knife? My first slices are always messy and I’d love to know how to make them look as beautiful as yours.

Thank you, Abigail! It definitely helps if the tart is still cold. You can pop it in the fridge for a few minutes before slicing to keep the chocolate filling at bay. The marshmallow meringue *should* be firm enough stay in place if you use a sharp knife. And then, lots of practice!! 😉